The Steelers will open training camp July 28 at Heinz Field. As is usually the case, camp will include a number of battles, not just for roster spots, but for starting jobs.
This series will take a look at those battles as we head into camp.
Today: Right Tackle
Who: Matt Feiler, Chuks Okorafor, Zach Banner
The Skinny: Mike Tomlin announced last month that Feiler, the team's starting right tackle for most of the past two seasons, will get the first opportunity to replace retired Ramon Foster at left guard. That's not a surprise.
Newcomer Stefen Wisniewski is a 10-year-veteran with over 100 starts under his belt, but none of that experience is with the Steelers. And the Steelers don't like to play their backup center unless they absolutely have to do so. So, that means Okorafor, a third-year player with four career starts under his belt, and Banner, who saw 216 snaps in 2019, mostly as a blocking tight end, will get the chance to win the starting right tackle job.
The Steelers could still decide to move Feiler back to right tackle and use Wisniewski at left guard, but that would mean Okorafor and Banner both flopped in their opportunity.
The Edge: Okorafor started at right tackle last season when the Steelers played the Rams and wanted to move Feiler inside to deal with Aaron Donald while Foster was out with an injury. That spoke volumes about how they felt about the second-year player. Remember, Okorafor, a third-round pick in 2018, had surgery to repair a torn labrum after his rookie season. And with that injury, it can take up to a year to fully regain your strength.
But Banner won't go quietly. He gained a lot of confidence in 2019 being used as an extra blocker. And he's a former fourth-round pick himself. The Steelers have Okorafor under contract for two more years, while Banner, Feiler and left tackle Alejandro Villanueva are only under contract for this season.
The team would obviously like Okorafor to win the job. And that's what I expect to happen.
Tomorrow: Nose tackle
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